alert, trending, and bucket list. jon: over the last 40 years 900 words have been banned in this tongue and cheek manner, however past lists have yet to eradicate phrases like lol, mancave or viral from every day conversations. uma: those could go too, definitely. jon: i guess they can. you know what i wonder about the times square thing when a million people gather together, why don't they throw the earth off its axis? all that weight concentrated in times square i'm concerned about that. uma: it's an interesting thought jon scott. things that you think about. jon: i'm not worried about the security i just want to make sure the sun rises at the proper time tomorrow morning. uma: absolutely. it's going to be quite an event as always with a billion people around the world watching it. jon: that's right. have a good one. thank you for joining us for our last broadcast of 2012. uma: happy new year, everybody. jon: "america live" starts right now. rick: we begin with a fox news alert.

we have got even word a few moments ago that we will hear from president obama. he will be speaking in about a half an hour from now on negotiatings over a debt deal 0, just about 11 hours left now until washington's failure to reach a deal would trigger a big series of tax hikes and spending cuts. welcome to "america live" i'm rick folbaum. >> i'm arthe arthel nevel. the president is expected to make remarks within the hour about the on going negotiations about the so-called fiscal cliff. we'll bring that live to you when it happens. sources are telling fox news that congress has figured out the tax part. the main bone of contention is at this point the spending. the white house wants new spending using tax hikes to prevent some of the severe budget cuts that also kick in in 11 hours from now. republicans argued that is just robbing pete tore pay paul. chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel is live at the capitol following

all of the bouncing balls. hey, mike. >> reporter: one concern for republicans as they look at this deal is what about spending cuts? where are the spending cuts? it sounds like they are getting close in the talks between vice president joe biden and the senate republican leader mitch mcconnell but there is not a deal until senator mcconnell knows he has enough support. let's take a look at some of the key points of a framework of the deal according to sources close to the talks. it would raise taxes on income tax amounts above $400,000 for individuals, $450,000 for families. it would address the estate tax, the alternative minimum tax, the medicare doc fix and unemployment insurance. current discussions about how best to address the automatic spending cuts that is called sequestration, the automatic cuts to defense, and domestic programs. a short time ago a leading republican expressed a great deal of concern and frustration with the whole process. >> it's december the 31st.

january 1st is tomorrow, 2013, taxes go up. everybody agrees it will be disaster for the economy. we can't allow that to happen. we'll ruin the economy. but where we were? where were we for the pass month, and the month before that, and the month before that, dealing what we knew was going to be the very set of circumstances that we face today. >> reporter: it sounds like republican senators were planning to meet at 2:00pm to dismust where things stood with this deal. now we are hearing from sources in the republican senate ranks essentially that they will meet when they feel like the process is far enough along to actually have a meeting. earlier the top senate democrat harry reid did not say much. >> discussions continue today on a plan to protect middle class families from a tax increase tomorrow. there are a number of issues on which the two sides are still apart, but negotiations are continuing as i speak.

>> reporter: i've talked to numerous people involved in these very delicate talks at this point who are expressing a lot of concern about peuz coming out at the the bottom of the hour to talk about this issue at such a delicate time in negotiations. >> thank you for that report. when the president does come out we'll bring it to you live here on fox news. rick: you just heard mike talking about the fight over new spending and a lack of budget cuts in this possible deal. the reuters news service reported a couple of minutes ago that the tentative deal now being hammered out in washington contains no new spending cuts. stu varney host of varney & company. >> that is a very big deal. if the issues of debt, debt accumulation, deaf sits and spending are not addressed then this financial mess, this wrangling on the financial front that we are in now will continue well into next year. go back a little bit, rick. go back to august of 2011, we got into this mess because we

were downgraded, we couldn't agree on debt and deficits. we kept on pushing it off, pushing it off into the future. now we are right at the point where we have to make a decision on debt, dficits and spending and all we're talking about is a deal on taxes. it seems very likely that tax rates on higher income people will go up. we know for a fact that social security taxes will go up tomorrow, and some obamacare taxes they kick in as well tomorrow morning. so all we're talking about at the moment is raising taxes, we are doing nothing on deficit, debt and spending, that means this wrangling, this mess will continue. rick: child tax credits get extended according to some reports now. the earned income tax credit gets he can tended. the college tax credit gets extended for another five years, these are all things that cost u.s. taxpayers a lot of money, and it's probably just the beginning. >> it sounds like they are throwing a lot of items into the tax basket.

i'd like to hear what they are going to say about the alternative minimum tax and the estate tax is that included in this tax basket? you'll notice, rick all they are talking about is the tax side of the equation. i've heard nothing so far on the spending, debt and deficit side, and that is the real driver of this financial crisis. it's a one-sided deal, it's a one-sided look at the question that we've got even so far. this mess continues if those issues of spending and deficits are not addressed. rick: how is the market and all of the markets like lie to react ilikely to react if this is true. >> the dow industrials had gone up about 90 points when the news of president obama's presentation hit the market. the short-term reaction is a gain for the stock market. whether this pans out over the longer term is another story entirely. rick: tax hikes. i mean this has been anathema to republicans. it seems again this the reports

are true that republicans are willing to let the bush tax cuts expire for some people, and the argument has been all along that that is going to hurt small businesses. i'm just wondering your thoughts on that, if there are republican lawmakers in washington who are going to go along with letting tax rates go up on anybody, what is that going to mean? >> if tax rates go up on upper income people, small business will be hurt. it will affect the economy. but there won't be that much impact on the deficit. if you raise taxes on people making more than $250,000 a year the congressional budget office says you bring in to the treasury maybe 82, $85 billion. but we're already talking about spending 60 billion of that for hurricane sandy relief in new jersey and new york. so you've wiped out a lot of the incoming money at a single stroke. won't do anything for the deficit at all. if you raise taxes on anybody at this moment, and we are going to, the economy will suffer.

rick: i'm hearing from our colleague chad pergrum who covers capitol hill from us not to expect to hear from the speaker of the house john boehner after we hear from the president at 1:30pm. speaker boehner tried to put plan b of his own on the table and ended up not having the republican support for it, so he pulled back. as business watches these negotiations take place, and we heard from senator thune in mike emanuel's report a minute ago what is the reaction of the business community at this function that is on display in our nation's capitol. >> despair, anger frustration. if you go forward into 2013 not addressing spending, in fact the president wants to raise spending on struc infrastructure you go forward into next year doing that with tax increases on upper income people and some small business owners you will slow the economy down. business does not want a slower economy, it wants a more rapid rate of growth. the reaction from business to

the kind of deal that seems to be shaping up, and i say that very reserved lee, their reaction istep eud at best, ev is t *erbgs pid at bess even though you have a modest rally a couple of seconds after the president's speech was announced. it's gone down again to a gain are 30, 35 points. rick: maybe the markets are now reacting to that. stu varney is the host of varney & company on the fox business network. always good to see you. the president set to speak less than 30 minutes from now, we'll bring that to you live with special report host bret baier, this could be a big deal, folks and we'll have it for you. >> reporter: right now new details on secretary of state hillary clinton's condition. she is receiving treatment right now at a new york hospital after doctors discovered a blood clot theming from the concussion she suffered earlier this month. secretary clinton was admitted yesterday and could be there for

days. david lee miller is here live with the latest, and david, first of all, do we know how serious this blood clot is? >> at this point that is not entirely clear. officials have not released specific information about the location of the clot. medical experts who have not treated hillary clinton say it is probably and i under score that word problem below in her leg. a blood clot in the brain or lungs is considered much more dangerous. a statement from the state department says she is being treated with anti-could he ago ooh atlantas and will remain in the hospital until tuesday in order to monitor her medication. since suffering the concussion secretary clinton has not made any public appearances. she was forced to cancel an overseas trip as well as congressional testimony on the attack on benghazi. the cloth could requirthe clot could require her to lessen her workload in her at secretary of state. this is certain at this time to, she will be ushering in the new year in the hospital.

>> reporter: this is not the first time secretary clinton had been treated for a clot correct. >> reporter: she was treated for a blood clot back in 1998 on the back of her right leg. she later said it was the most serious medical problem she had ever experienced up until that time. as for this latest clot earlier this month while suffering from a stomach virus she fainted, hit her heads. medical experts who have not pained her said it was possible that the new clot formed before she was diagnosed with a concussion, it was found during a follow-up examine. another theory the blood clot formed because she was send even tear reduring her convalescence listen. >> the blood clot i'm a assuming is similar to the one she had in 1998 which was in the back of her leg. she did have a concussion recently which made her a little immobile at home, probably, which is a bit of a risk factor for developing clots in veins in legs especially in people who are at risk for them. another risk factor air travel. doctors say it can also lead to

blood clots. as secretary of state mrs. clinton has logged hundreds of thousands of miles. for now she remains grounded. >> thank you very much for the update. rick: let's take a look now at some of the risk factors surrounding the blood clots. they usually occur after an injury or because of a heart problem. clots can break off and travel to other parts of the body and they are most dangerous when they travel to the lungs causing a potentially life-threatening situation or to the brain where they can actually lead to a stroke. finally sometimes a blood thinner is prescribed to help dissolve the clot over time. coming up later in our show our doctor joins us with more on the secretary's condition and per prognosis for the near future. >> reporter: we are waiting to hear from president obama. also coming up new fallout from the tragedy in newtown, connecticut as a major sporting goods chain faces a possible class action lawsuit, that is for refusing to deliver the guns some customers already paid for. is the company in the wrong

here? we'll investigate. rick: coming up next see how the city of stockton, california california may be trying to proceed tech the pension of public workers at the expense of everybody else. >> reporter: a controversial claim from a law professor at a prompt manslaughter university that government is broken and we just should throw it out. given the deadlock in washington does he have a point? we'll see what history has to tell us and debate fair & balanced.

rick: a fox news alert. we are 15 minutes away from hearing from president obama who is scheduled to speak on the on going negotiation toss try to avoid going over the so-called fiscal cliff. we got word the president is going to talk. we have been getting word over the last couple of phepbts about

the framework for a possible deal that has been reached. this is a tentative deal. but it does not at this point involve any spending cuts. it puts off the sequestration, the mandatory cuts that were set to take place if no deal was reached by january 1st. it also includes tax increases, tax rate increases on some upper income brackets. again these are all tentative reports about a possible deal. the president set to speak at about 1:30pm eastern time and we'll carry it for you live right here. arthel: new controversy surrounding the bankruptcy filing by the city of stockton, california. city leaders are apparently going to protect public worker unions at the expense of everyone else. there is a single -- there is a city, we're talking about stockton, a single firefighter there earnses three times when the average family brings in and they can retire at the age of 50 with a pension worth 90% of that bloated salary. instead of making cuts to that

kind of over spending stockton is planning to renege on its debt responsibilities to investors. ed butowski is here, a magazining partner of an investments company. in plain terms explain to us, what is it that stockton is doing with its bond debt? >> sure, it's important to know, i mean this really hits right at the heart of all investors, because when you buy a bond there are promises that are made by that issuer. in this case stockton, california has made promises, and they said, before anybody else gets paid anything, any pension plans get paid, before any benefits we're going to make sure that the people who are putting us in business or funding our operations are going to be paid back. they've made a promise to pay back that debt, and they are basically going against that promise and taking the bond holders, kicking them to the side and saying, we are going to take care of ourselves. we are going to pay ourselves, give ourselves benefits, we are going to pay ourselves raises and we don't really care but, even though you funded us, and

they did this again, once before in 2007 they did the same exact thing. arthel: as we know municipal bonds used to be a safe investment. so now these guys are basically getting hosed. >> i'll tell you if anybody is a bond holder, a municipal bond holder in the state of california, buyer be ware at this point. we might start to see this happen in oakland, sacramento, los angeles. people continue to buy these bonds because they had a promise from these organizations that they would be paid back on a specific date. when that promise goes away you really are tossing out all the rules in investing all over. now you start questioning, why would he own a bond that i potentially -- where i have limited up side? why don't i just go buy equities where i have unlimited potential, because the promises made by stockton are not being held. and there is accountability that is just not going to ham at this point. arthel: i understand, that they are talking about filing bankruptcy under chapter 9 i think it is. if they do that what about the

company has insure the bonds? do they have a say and say, hey guys you can't just settle this by going, i can't pay i'm going to file for bankrupt knee. >> you're going to start seeing a lot of that. right now what we're seeing in our fiscal cliff discussions is a lot of craziness, right? when money is out there and there is a limited amount of money you'll see a lot of weird things happen and you'll see that over a long period of time. this will not be the last headline you read about a municipality having to go through some sort of legal, you know, wrangling to try to get bond holders paid back or keep a pension going. that happens when you have a bad economy. and california is a terrible economy and the united states is right behind it. arthel: san diego figured it out. san jose figured it out. they restructured the pension payouts, why can't the other cities do that? >> that is a good yes question. and i think that's what it will come down to, who is running these organizations, why are they getting paid so much and who is making the decisions. at some point you'll see trustees come in and hopefully sounder minds.

for right now you'll continue to hear this. even though san diego fixed theirs and san jose fixed theirs sometimes that is a little bit of -- we'll probably see that revisited again. california is a mess just like the united states and this is a very troubling thing. i manage money for a lot of people and done it for a longtime, this type of headline really disturbs people like me. arthel: if you president bush managing the city of stockton what would you advice them to do? >> that's a great question. i mean what i would say is you follow the rules, fhr, follow the rules and you take care of your bond holders and make sure the bond holders are paid and then you go back for concessions back to the union and all the pensioners, because it's a tough situation but i never would have let it get to this point. i would have dealt with it ahead of time. arthel: happy new year. >> happy new year. arthel: thank you. rick: it's been more than two weeks now since the tragedy in newtown, connecticut and we are hearing that the body of the accused connecticut school shooter adam lanza has finally been claimed for burial. trace gallagher is next with the newest turn in that case.

arthel: and the president this weekend said sloppy security was to blame for the deadly terror attack in libya that killed four americans. ambassador john bolton joins us just to talk about what the president didn't say. >> there was a great deal of intelligence that would indicate that something well could happen. it wasn't tactical, it didn't say on september 11th you can expect x, y or z but there was enough to know that there were problems in the area.

arthel: i want to remind you now on our breaking news. president obama to speak in just moments from now. negotiations over the debt deal continuing. apparently the president is not expected to announce that there is a deal in place but we are told that there is a framework in place nor the deal.

we also got word from congressional sources that there are concerns about the timing of these remarks as negotiations near completion. the president will speak, we'll bring it to you when he does. apparently some are reporting that perhaps the president was already planned to make these remarks. again the timing is a little bit suspicious on the part of some. let me tell you what is in the works right now on the table. we're talking about families making $450,000 a year, their taxes would go to 39.6%. that is an increase. taxes states worth more than 5 million would increase to 40%, that is going to be up from 35%. big, big, big deal here, unemployment benefits are going to be extended for one year. without those extensions 2 million americans would lose those benefits. again we are waiting for president obama to make remarks on the deal that is on the table. when he comes out we will bring it to you.

rick: the body of at cuesed connecticut school shooter has been claimed for burial about two weeks after those killings, adam lanza's father taking responsibility for his son's remains. police say lanza shot and killed 26 people at sandy hook elementary school before killing himself. trace gallagher is live from our l.a. bureau with more on this. trace. >> reporter: it's interesting, rick, because the first who first claimed adam lanza's remains wanted to be anonymous. we have now confirmed that his father peter lanza did in fact claim his son's body but he made no announcement at all about any funeral arrangements and said that he will not reveal the burial site. we've also learned that peter lanza who was a tax director at general electric has asked geneticists from the university of connecticut to scan his son's, research his son's brain for any mutations or abnormalities that could shed some light on his motive for the shooting. as you know police are still trying to come up with a motive by looking into adam lan's family history, his education,

even his medical treatment. a full report could take many, many months. police say peter lanza by the way claimed his son's body. the two have had almost no relationship at all in recent years and we should note that adam lanza's mother was buried in new hampshire earlier this month. rick: lanza's father and mother were divorced some time ago, and it's my understanding, trace, that they were estranged for a longtime, father and son? >> reporter: they were. in fact the father lived in stamford where he works as i said at general electric. the mother of course lived in newtown where she was volunteering at that school. they had been divorced for a few years, and through that divorce it was ugly and he had almost no contact with his son in at least the past two, possibly three years. did have contact with adam lanza's older brother, who remember the name switch up there, some people thought it was him that was involved and it was not, the father apparently does have a relationship with the older brother. rick: all right, trace gallagher live for us in los angeles.

trace, thanks very much for that update. arthel: as a tentative budget deal continues to emerge on capitol hill the president expecting to speak in just moments. we are back with bret baier to analyze in two minutes.

arthel: a fox news alert. we are awaiting president obama. rick: this comes as we wait for news of a possible deal. mike emanuel says he is hearing concerns from his source about the timing of these remarks. the fact that the president would come out and speak before a deal is really even done. >> reporter: this is the president trying to move the ball, trying to get it forward because, frankly, this has been a slow process as we have seen the past few days. now the senate is in the process of trying to finalize this deal. we are told through the reporting of ed henry and our producer on capitol hill. that the tax threshold, the cap where the tax would start at

$400,000 for individuals, $450,000 for families or couples is set. but there are still sticking points. there are no spending dmuts this framework and the sequester that kicks in as of midnight tonight, those are across-the-board cuts deep on the defense department and domestic spending. that's not dealt with either as of yet in this framework. the president is not going to talk about a deal being done but one in the process of being done. there are a lot of hurdles in the next few hours, for one for to it come up in the vote in the senate. you have to get through the 60-vote threshold. there are 8 senators, four on each side who potentially could throw a wrench into that process that doesn't get it out of the senate. two, the house gop, if there are

no additional spending cuts, and the sequester is not dealt with, they will go ballistic. can speaker boehner pass something without the house majority of the majority that is something that house speakers back to denny hastert have tried to do, when they have the majority, get the majority of their members to sign on to it. he would have to pass it with most democrats and not a lot of republicans. arthel: there is such in-fighting in each party. speaker boehner is not going to speak after the president makes his remarks. i would like to see what you think of that stance on speaker boehner's part. >> reporter: trying to figure out if they can get the votes. the deal seems foe nebulous. what we are hearing about it -- i don't think the president is

going to get into have many specifics here. we'll hear much of the same thing we have heard the past few days. i could be wrong. you are looking live at the eisenhower executive office building part of the white house complex. we are waiting for the president to come out in the south auditorium to make this statement. it's just going to be remarks here trying to move law makers to make this deadline. everything we are hearing capitol hill is this will be difficult. no matter what, logistically we are probably going to go over the cliff, fiscal cliff even if a deal is struck just because of the maneuvering of how to get something passed in the senate and the house. so if you have a deal this afternoon you still have to get it to the floor of the senate, you have to talk about it, debate, you have to get through a series of votes, then you are

talking about possibly 10:00 p.m. tonight where you get something passed if you get that far. then potentially the house takes it up tomorrow. if you again there are a lot of roadblocks because we don't know the specifics of the deal. rick: we heard that republicans have basically been dealt a poor hand when it comes to these negotiations. but is the than that bad that republicans will have to vote yes for tax rate increases without the promise of any spending cuts at all? >> reporter: there will be a large portion of the house republican caucus who will not do that. they just won't. they were voted -- they were elected not to do that. they were sent from their districts just as the president says he has a mandate from the election because he campaigned

on raising taxes on the top tier. to deal with the country's economic woes. they campaigned -- they say, in districts on dealing with washington's spending problem and tightening the belt and dealing with entitlement reform and tax reform. things republicans think are the way to solve the bigger problem. they just won't do it. that's the problem for speaker boehner. and whether he allows the vote, knowing majority of his members probably won't go along with it, that's the first hurdle to get over, and, two, if he has the votes, i should back up here. there are democrats who have problems with this as well. you had senators on the democratic side, senators franken and harken and sanders going to senator reid's office

apparently this afternoon and have a problem with raising the limit from $250,000 to $400,000, on the tax cut exemptions. we have a long way to go. it's hard to believe we are 1:36. so 12:00 midnight is approaching fast and there is a lot of road to go before anything develops. arthel: it's unbelievable. the american public is fed up with it. what are you hearing in terms of having vice president biden negotiate with mitch mcconnell. they have relationships with many of the people in the senate and perhaps do you think they could get together? it seems like their talks have helped in some regard. do you think they will take it back to their people if you will to see if they can get a deal in place? >> reporter: i think they deal

well with each other, talking to senator mcconnell about that relationship before. he talked about how well he can pick up the phone and call vice president biden. it happened back in the debt ceiling issue in 2011 and they worked well together over 23 years in the senate. but that aside, whatever they agree to together on the phone behind closed doors. you still have to have the votes in both chambers. in the senate it's complicated because you have to get over that 60-vote flesh hold. republicans could say this is a fiscal issue and the minority concedes you can deal with this budget issue on a simple majority vote. and that may get over one of those hurdles so they would get through with 51 members then a few more republicans could vote

against it. but you have to get over that first. you have to get the bill to the floor. i know we are getting into the weeds of the parliamen -- of the parliamentary process. there is a high drama that any senator could stop this whole process is pretty remarkable. then you get over that hurdle and you deal with the house gop. democrats would have to swallow the raising of the tax cut level and republicans would have to swallow hard knowing they were going to fight the spending cut battle using the debt ceiling on the other end in the new year. arthel: you broke it down so eloquently. it's like being in a wedding where that one person can stand up and say do you object? yes, i object. those two should not marry. >> reporter: that's not a nice

wedding. somebody should go to the punch bowl. they need to start the band. arthel: would you stand by for us. we are waiting for the president to go to the podium and make his remarks. rick: brad blakeman is a form or assistant to president bush. dick harpootlian, we are about to hear from the president. what can he say if this goal as bret baier said is to move the ball forward? >> i think that the president recognizes -- the president recognizes that this is a process that pivots on and it's the house and senate. we have three branches of government. the government can propose but he can't introduce, vote for or actually move any legislation

through. what we are seeing here is the almost juvenile activity on both sides of the aisle in an inability to get something done and move the ball. this is unprecedented. it's always messy and slow but the american people are getting an eye full of how bad it can get. people with weak stomachs should not watch sausages or laws made. rick: as we begin to hear some of the details, the tax rate increases that apparently have been agreed to. this is not the sticking point, that republicans apparently in the senate are repaired to allow tax rates to go up on individuals making over $400,000 a year. families making over $450,000. you heard about some of the

other things including the fact that automatic cuts are pushed off. what do you think? >> sequestration is not dealt with. this is a shotgun wedding. those never turn out well. the republicans have been down this road before with healthcare and stimulus where the democrats say there is a crisis. the date is looming and you must vote. you don't have an opportunity for the cbo to score a bill. you don't have the opportunity to read a bill, digest and debate a bill. there is a lot of procedure here that has yet to be done. we shouldn't vote on something that's a bad deal. this is a bad deal for the american people. the fact that the president is coming out not to announce a deal but to negotiate through the media is ridiculous. he should get in his car and go to capitol hill and meet with the members to craft a deal if he can. i think the president coming out

to upon i if i kate and lecture and scold is not helpful to the process. rich these people are being brought out to stand behind the president when he makes his remarks. we have been given the 2-minute warning. we have seen the president do this before, bring in ordinary americans that would be impacted adversely were a deal not to be reached. we are expecting the president. his leadership on this issue, how would you grade it, dick? >> i grade it a-plus. he put a plan out. he talked about from the beginning that the republican's sole goal is to protect rich people at the expense of the elderly and everything else. protect the multi millionaires to the detriment of everybody else. he ran on that, he won on that

and the republicans are just starting to get the message. if anybody in this process hasn't stepped up to the plate it's john boehner. he's the runaway bride, he didn't show up for the wedding. rick: brad? >> the president get an f. he was the leader of the senate. the president created this crisis. he had a debt commission. the debt commission came back with revenue, spending, entitlement suggestions for both parties. the president rejected it because he needed to be reelected. now he's using the reelection as success. you will see him come out and to what he's been doing whether it's on "meet the press" or television and print, instead of negotiating with the parties who can bring a deal together. rick: we just saw live pictures

of the path walking to the old executive building, walking next door to the white house to give this address. we don't know exactly who those folks are behind him. but in the past the president and his staff have gathering to people to help him make his point. ordinary mayor chance we have been given the 2-minute warning. the president's remarks being placed on the podium. we assume he will walk in and deliver those remarks in a few minutes. .we know anything about -- do we know who these peeks folks are? >> reporter: we are told they are middle class families. the president walked into the auditorium, so let's listen in. [applause]

>> hello, everybody. thank you. please, everybody have a seat. good afternoon, everybody. welcome to the white house. now, i realize that the last thing you want to hear on new year's eve is another speech from me. but i do need to talk about the progress that's being made in congress today. for the last few days leaders in both parties have been working toward an agreement that will prevent a middle class tax hike from hitting 98% of all americans starting tomorrow. preventing that tax hike has been my top priority because last thing folks like the folks up here on this stage can afford right now is to pay an extra $2,000 in taxes next year.

middle class families can't afford it, businesses can't afford it, our economy can't afford it. today it appears that an agreement to prevent this new year's tax hike is in sight but it's not done. there ues left to resolve, but we are hopeful that congress can get it done. but it's not done. and so part of the reason that i wanted to speak to all of you here today is to make sure we emphasize to congress and that members of both parties understand that all across america this is a pressing concern on people's mind. the potential agreement that's being talked about would not only make sure the taxes don't go up on middle class families. it also would extend tax credits

for families with children. it would extend our tuition tax credit that's helped millions of families pay for college. it would extend tax credits for clean energy companies creating jobs and reducing our dependence and foreign oil. it would extend unemployment insurance to 2 million americans out there actively looking for a job. i have to say that ever since i took office, throughout the campaign and the last couple months, my preference would have been to solve all these problems in the context of a larger agreement, a bigger deal, a grand bargain, whatever you want to call it, that solves our deficit problems in a balanced and responsible way. it doesn't just you deal with the taxes. but a balanced way so we can put this behind us and focus on growing our economy. but with this congress that was obviously a little too much to

hope for at this time. [laughter] >> maybe we can do it in stages. we'll solve this problem instead in several steps. last year in 2011 we started reducing the defend city through $1 trillion in spending cuts. those have already taken place. the agreement being worked on right now would further reduce the deficit by asking the wealthiest 2% of americans to pay higher taxes for the first time in two decades. so that would add additional hundreds of billions of dollars to deficit reduction. so that's progress. but we are going to need to do more. keeping in mind last month republicans in congress said they would never agree to raise tax rates on the really nest americans. obviously the agreement would raise those rates permanently.

[applause] >> but keep in mind we still have more work to do. we have deficits that need to be dealt with and we need to think about how to put our economy on a long-term trajectory of growth and infrastructure to help our economy grow. keep in mind the threat of tax hikes going up is only one part of this so-called fiscal cliff everybody has been talking about. what we also have facing us starting tomorrow are aught maddic spending cuts that are scheduled to go into effect. and keep in mind that some of these spending cuts that congress has said will automatically go into effect will have an impact on our defense department and head start. so there are some programs that are scheduled to be cut that we are using an ax instead of a

scalpel. it may not always be the smartest cuts. so that's a piece of business that still has to be taken care of. i want to make clear that any agreement we have to deal with these automatic spending cuts set for next month. those have to be balanced. my principle has always been let's do things a balanced responsible way. that means revenues have to be part of the equation in turning overt sequester and automatic spending cuts as well as spending cuts. the same is true for any future deficit agreement. obviously we'll have to do more to reduce our debt and deficit, i'm willing to do more, but we have to do it in a balanced, responsible way. i'm willing to reduce our government's medicare bills by finding ways to reduce the cost of healthcare in this country.

we want to to make sure medicare is there for future generations. but the current trajectory of healthcare costs is going up so high we have to find ways to make sure that it's sustainable. but that kind of reform has to go hand in hand with doing more work to reform or tax code so that weelty individuals, the biggest corporations can't take advantage of loopholes abductions that aren't available to most americans. so there is still more work to be done in the tax code to make it fairer even as we are also looking at how we can strengthen something like medicare. if republicans think that i will finish the job of deficit reduction through spending cuts alone and you hear that sometimes coming from them. that sort of after today we are just going to try to shove only spending cuts down -- shove

spending cuts at us -- that will hurt seniors or hurt students or hurt middle class families without asking also equivalent sacrifice from million airs or companies with a lot of lobbyists. if they think that's going to be the formula for how we solve this thing then they have got another think coming. we have got to do this in a balanced and responsible way. if we are going to be serious about deficit and debt reduction it will have to be a matter of shared sacrifice. at least as long as i'm president. and i'm going to be president for the next four years. [cheers and applause]

anyway for now our most immediate priority is to stop taxes from going up for middle class families starting tomorrow. i think that a modest goal we can accomplish, democrats and republicans in congress have to get this done, but they are not there yet. they are close, but they are not there yet. one thing we can count on with respect to this congress is that if there is even one second left before you have to do what you are supposed to do they will use that last second. so at this point it looks like i will be spending new year's here in d.c. -- y'all will be hanging out in d.c., too -- i can come to your house? is that what you said? i don't want to spoil the party. but ... the people who are with

me here today, the people watching at home, they need our leaders in congress to succeed. they need us -- they need us to all stay focused on them. not on politics, not on special interests, they need to be focused on families, students, grandmas, folks out there working really hard, and are just lock for a fair shot. and some reward for that hard work. they expect our leaders to succeed on their behalf. so do i, so keep the pressure on over the next 12 hours or so. let's see if we can get this thing done. i thank you all. i don't see you. if i don't show up at your house. i want to wish everybody a happy new year. arthel: clearly in front of a friendly crowd flanked by middle

class families. the president saying in sight, but not done. >> reporter: i think a couple of observations. just the optics of this event. the president again putting middle class families behind him as he made these remarks pointed at times about republicans. i think was party a signal to republicans and a bit of a threat to republicans that if you don't sign onto this deal, this is what you will see again and again and again in the new year ahead of the fiscal cliff debate number two which is the debt ceiling back and forth. that the president is promising to campaign as he has across the country with folks just like that behind him probably in different districts and going after republicans.

that is the signal they are trying to send with those optics. what he said, he really focused on the taxes as he has pretty much throughout speaking about how important the tax increases on the upper tier are. did not talk a lot about the spending cuts. there are no additional spending cuts in this package from what we have heard from ed henry and our people up on capitol hill. this is a major problem. we just received, mike emanuel received a hard copy of a letter sent by e-mail by senate minority leader mitchell mcconnell updating them on negotiations. here is what nor mcconnell says about the situation. the subject is fiscal cliff update. colleagues. i appreciate your patience and know you are anxious to understand where we stand on the package. the tax piece is complete and

done as of last evening at 1:45 a.m. i thought the entire deal was done. the white house called his morning asking that we also turn off the sequester. the white house has yet to the agree to the $100 beautiful various proposals i suggested but we are continuing to talk. in other words, they wanted that deal to be done. it's not. arthel: thank you so much. we are back in two minutes.

arthel: a brand-new hour, we start with a fox news alert. there is just 10 hours left for law makers to resolve a debate that began with cutting our nation's debt and now threatens to raise taxes on nearly every american. brand-new hour of "america live." rick: these last-minute meetings, as we have been getting reports about significant progress. but with lawmakers still at odds over the particulars of the plan threatening to take shape. the possibility of a midnight tax hike is very real. >> reporter: the president aiming to put pressure on house republicans and those in the senate to pass an agreement

being worked out between vice president bind and senate minority leader mitch mcconnell after negotiations between mr. obama and house speaker john boehner hit a wall. it the deal extend the bush tax cuts for families making less than $250,000 a year. there are no spending cuts in this deal. the democrats said they already agreed to cuts in last year's debt ceiling hike. but republicans will go ballistic over no spending cuts. there is one year of extended unemployment benefits in this deal. that was a red line for some democrats who say it's good for

the country and fair for the many people who still can't find work. it doesn't raise enough revenue or cut spending enough to stop the sequestration. in the words of the critics they will have to kick the can down the road. this will be a hard sell for republicans who say the country has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. president obama is hoping the midnight deadline puts pressure on them. >> date appears that an agreement to prevent this new year's tax hike is within sight. but it's not done. there are still issues left to resolve. but we are hopeful that congress can get it done. but it's not done. so part of the reason that it

wanted to speak to all of you today is to make sure that we emphasize to congress that members of both parties understand that all across america this is a pressing concern on people's minds. >> reporter: conventional wisdom is there may not be any great harm going a few days into the new year without an agreement as long as the markets don't tank. arthel: a couple key developments in the last 10 minute including reports there are no spending cuts in this deal. wendall just touched on that. the president saying any future debt deals will have to include more tax increases. guy, what do you make of the president's remarks? >> i'm trying to figure out what the point was. i know the president likes to come out and talk and give

remarks and he had the people behind him, human props, saying i understand middle class people and their needs, that's political theater and everyone does that. but we are a at the very last minute. with the republican leadership having to make a tough sell on the hill. we don't know what the going to happen to the sequester, i don't see the point of the president coming out and repeatedlyantagol republicans. it seemed to me what he was really trying to do was set the table for the next fight in just a few months when the debt ceiling gets hit and there will be another cliff. i have to tell you, i'mn here in jacksonville, florida for a college football game, go, cats, by the way. arthel: who are they playing? >> northwestern wildcats tomorrow in the gator bowl.

i was in the hotel lobby and fox news was on. there were fans from both states a blue state and red state watching the fiscal cliff going on and someone said what are we paying these people for? everyone said this is absolutely absurd. americans have had it. what we saw today was the president setting up another fight in a few months where he's saying -- he's mocking the concept of spending cuts again. spending is the problem here. arthel: you mentioned the so-called 11th hour. we are down to the 9th hour literally here. i understand your contention with the president. but fair enough we can't say it's all -- ball is only in the president's court. it takes 2 or 3 or 465 people there to tango. but let me talk about this. you have got the two teams there. let's say those teams watching fox news, hey, everybody,

shoutout to everybody. let's say they are reviewing this bad movie. who do you think will come out the good cop and who do you think will come out the bad cop? >> i think that remains to be seen. the president has an advantage in terms much leverage. that been the -- it was mitch mm connell the senate republican leader who seems to have hammered this out with the vice president. something appears to be getting accomplished. let's say we have these tax increases on families making $450,000 or more plus a lot of small businesses. that's going to bring in maybe $500 billion in revenue. sounds like a lot. but we are hearing reports from senator rob portman and senator lindsey graham on fox earlier. he said the democrats are asking

to take all of that money and finance more spending. this is supposed to be a deficit reduction endeavor. arthel: that's the part that gets americans. i get a pay raise. so what am i going to do? save that money. no, i'm going to spend it. what's the point of getting a pay raise? you are already in debt. and you are already in debt and you add more debt to the debt you are already in. >> by spending more and instantly spending it. it goes out the door. then we have a debt ceiling in two months. we are so tired of this. go back to budgeting. we haven't had a budget in three years. a lot of americans don't realize that. no budget in three years. how many families or businesses can get away with this? none. that's the answer. just our dysfunctional government. arthel: there was anoint the

speech that may antagonize house republicans. >> last month republicans in congress said they would never agree to raise tax rates on the wealthiest americans, but obviously the agreement that's being struck would raise those rates and raise them permanently. >> there was to tepid applause. it was suppose to be an official white house event but it was almost a campaign event and people were cheering. they are turning republican compromise into spiking the football in their face while there is a lot of uncertainty still about whether this deal is going to get done. what does that accomplish? all it does is anger republicans more while this is still a tentative scenario. which is why i go back to my initial comment. i don't know what the president was hoping to accomplish in a

protective way with that performance and maybe it would have been wise for him -- i understand he wants to use his bully pulpit. but while we have this agreement in flux it might have been better for the president to keep his thoughts to himself the for the time being. particularly because his spell of trying to negotiate with speaker boehner went nowhere. now we have had a fair amount of progress are other actors. let's let it play out. we didn't say that. arthel: you call it gloating. oothers say say he is reminding people he won and he has a mandate. i hope your team wins in the gator bowl. >> thank you, go cats! rick: we want to switch gears and give you another fox news alert. the ntsb is sending investigators to the scene of yesterday's deadly tour bus crash in oregon that killed 9

people. dozens more were hurt when this bus slid off an icy stretch of. >> i hawaii and plunges down an embankment. >> reporter: we just got the latest numbers. 9 dead, 26 injured. this happened near personle on, oregon they call deadman's pass. this is the only section of that road that has that steep of an embankment. investigators believe the bus rolled at least three times before crashing down into that rocky basin. the local fire chief called the rescue organized chaos. >> 20 years and this is the first time i have seen anything like this. it appeared most of the patients had been ejected from the bus as the bus went down the cliff.

>> reporter: first the rescue teams had to scale down that embankment. then bring the round up to the highway for you treatment. the number of injured and dead quickly rows. passengers who survived said those in the back of the bus fared better than those in the front of the bus. victims were flown to portland, oregon and boise, idaho. the bus is owned by a canadian company. they were on their way back to have after going to vegas. rick: trace gallagher, live for us in l.a. arthel: we have more coming in on new health concerns for secretary of state hillary clinton. we'll talk to a doctor about what secretary clinton is facing and what the worry is. rick: a connection to our

founding fathers in the fight over the fiscal cliff. one prominent law school professor is calling for america to ditch the constitution. arthel: new controversy over the death of four americans in libya after the president blames quote sloppy security. we'll speak with former u.n. ambassador john bolton. >> the problem was the right people apparently either didn't make the decision or didn't analyze the intelligence because i think if you looked at the intelligence would you have substantially beefed up the security in that particular mission in benghazi, and it didn't happen sufficiently.

excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app. arthel: a massive celebration kick off 2013 in australia. this is the scene in sydney harbor as the clock struck midnight. this is the largest fireworks

display in the world. more than 1 million people packed the sydney waterfront to get in on the fun. we are hours away from welcoming 2013 ourselves in new york city. you can catch megyn kelly and bill hemmer in times square on the fox news channel. rick: new controversy four months after a group of americans including our ambassador was murdered in libya september 11 of this year. the president suggested there are promising leads on who was behind the attack. when he was asked who should be held responsible for the attacks he blamed general sloppiness. >> what i have said is that we are going to fix this to make sure this does not happen again because these are folks i sent

into the field. we understand that there are dangers involved, but, you know, when you read the report and it confirms what we had already seen based on some of our internal reviews. there was just to sloppiness, not intentional -- in terms of how we secure embassies in areas where you essentially don't have governments with a lot of capacity to protect those embassies. n with respect to who carried it out, that's an ongoing investigation. the fbi sent individuals to libya repeatedly. we have good leads but this is not something i'm going to be at liberty to talk about right now. rick: let's talk about what we heard from president obama on "meet the press." the notion that this was sloppiness, is that what it was? >> i don't think so at all. what troubles me is the mindset of the president that it reveals

that the death of four americans is just something that with a few minor alterations you can clean up. that's what sloppiness employs that things are basically okay but a few mistakes were made by unnamed individuals. the fact is that the ideology of the administration, the world view they have is that things in libya were going fine, we were moving toward a normal status in that country and thrfort repeated requests by embassy tripoli for enhanced security were denied. and we still don't know, not from the state department's internal review panel. not from the reports that congress issues. why it was that the state department continually rejected these requests for more assistance that led to the tragedy on 9/11. it's a very disturbing statement by the president that reveals a lot more troubling aspects of

the way our people overseas are being protected. rick: some good leads is how the president described the investigation into who is responsible. does it surprise you that's all we have is good leads? >> they don't appear to be good enough to have actually found anybody. this statement by the president reveals that the internal workings of his mind. this is a criminal investigation. usual look for leads the way the police or fbi do. where this was an act of war against our facility in benghazi. four we'll were killed. there was a brutal fire fight that went on for 8 hours. this is not like a bank robbery that got a little bit out of control. signal we have been send, our passivity is very disturbing for other official americans and

private citizens in the middle east. and an encourage to the terrorist groups as in the 1990s when the world trade center was bombed for the first time. the u. -- $s. coal was bombed. the hobart towers was bombed. that pattern led to the first 9/11 and would i hate to think we are doing it again. rick: i want to have about hillary clinton's health problems. you and several other on the right said the health problems were merely a way for secretary clinton to get out of having to testify. now we heard her condition is quite serious. do you want to amended of any your comments? >> the thrust of what i have said repreatedly was there was a real absence of transparency in the way the state department was presenting the secretary's

medical condition. i don't think that lack of transparency has gotten any better. i think this is something that we should be concerned about given the importance of the role of the secretary of state. and i don't think this effort to try and not be fully transparent is helping anybody. certainly not secretary clinton. rick: do you believe the explanation she is being treated for a bloodclot or do you believe there is an effort to prevent her from having testified fully about what she knows about benghazi. >> i think they are trying to walk a fine line that does not affect the potential presidential candidacy that we expect senator clinton to enter into in the near future after she leaves the state department. the lack of transparency will

end up damage her and damaging her credibility. rick: do you believe that eventually we'll get to hear from secretary clinton and we'll get to the bottom what went down leading unto the attacks in benghazi and what happened since? >> i think we'll hear from her at some point. whether we get to the bottom of it remains to be seen. arthel: we'll have more on secretary clinton ahead. we'll talk to her doctors. is it time to ditch our constitution? see who is floating that idea in the "new york times" today and why. [ fishing rod casting line, marching band playing ] [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it... in your heart.

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tax. we are hearing that in the talks on the fiscal cliff there may be a permanent fix to the alternative minimum tax. so it protects the middle class from his alternative tax system which basically was even nactd 1969 so the rich pay some kind of tax. but it's not indeksd to inflation every year. congress has to enact a patch to that. but without it h ann r block is putting out a warning say 28 million of you would have to pay the alternative minimum tax. it's $86 billion. h & r block says if you are expect a tax refund next april if you make $85,000 and you have got two kids. with this tax your refund check could turn into a $1,400 tax

bill. but even without the fiscal cliff deal, here is what people's tax rates would look like if there was no deal. you will see the income levels to the left, the current tax bill owed and if the fiscal cliff hits you can see the increase there. the difference is pretty substantial. even down to the $250,000. separate from all this, in health reform we are seeing 20 new taxes coming january 1. we are also seeing 70 different tax breaks expiring today. congress has a lot of work to do. getting back to the alternative minimum tax. california, new jersey will be hit the hardest. rick: the story that caught our

attention. new calls to throw out u.s. constitution. just toss it out the window. we'll explain and debate that coming up next. arthel: if you can make it here you can make it anywhere. thousands brave the cold big apple for tonight's big ball drop. we'll bring you the latest from the ground at the new year's eve celebration that's viewed around the globe. [♪]

>> i have to say ever since i took office, throughout the campaign and over the past several months. my preference would have been to solve these problems in terms of a bigger deal, a grand bargain that solves our deficit problems in a balanced and responsible way that doesn't just deal with the taxes but deals with the spending in a balanced way so that we can put all this behind us and focusing on growing our economy. but with this congress that was obviously a little too much to hope for at this time.

sikh that was president obama sharing his thoughts on the debate over cutting federal spending. while there were reports of significant progress a short time ago. there is concern from republicans that they are giving the president the tax hikes he requested without getting spending breaks in return at a time when the federal deficits are running a trillion a year. the president talks about a balanced solution. we'll update as we hear more from the nation's capital. arthel: while the president blames congress for the problems in washington. a georgetown law professor says our problems start our constitution and announces we need a new form of government.

i'm going to start with dee dee on this. i'm a big fan of hdtv. do we need to make over the constitution? >> let's get rid of the one thing holding us all together. washington is broken, obviously we have problems. is this guy crazy? i'll call him louie. dose want a monarchy. i think he should take a sabbatical to cuba or saudi arabia where there is no constitution. the constitution protects this guy. >> the professor argued why not give on the constitution? what do you say to all this? >> i think if you love our

country and love our constitution you have to by definition and necessarily support this professor's right to really express this criticism of the constitution. it's enshrined within the constitution his right to free speech. the constitution is the most sacred text our country has. there is a reason the presidents become presidents when they swear to protect the constitution and when citizens become citizens they have to swear to protect the quns institution. but the professor makes a point when he says it divides us. conservatives are upset that liberals use the constitution for a woman's right to have an abortion. in a way the interpretation of the constitution does drive political infighting in our country. that has to be looked at. >> mark just mentioned some of

the freedoms we as women wouldn't have. i wouldn't be sitting here, i have got a problem with that one. >> what this guy is saying is radical. we are having the debate. but with the constitution comes tour republic cause if the constitution goes our republic goes. the united states of america will not exist without the constitution. that's how important this document is. >> do you think our republic, the sphwrent of our democracy exists not in the people alive today and the government being run by the people and for the people, but a 225-year-old document? >> the people and the legislation towards and americans, we abide by the constitution. it pro texts our rights. and also we can bear arms and we

have a lot -- we owe a thought this constitution and to the forefathers. we need to keep it and respect it. and things have changed. but this guy wants to get rid of it all together. arthel: the professor says we should continue to follow certain commands of the constitution out of respect, not obligation. >> i think the founding fathers would be thrilled with this guy. the founding fathers -- our nation has a heritage of radical thinking. for this georgetown professor to offer a thoughtful critique of the historical situatedness of the constitution is fantastic. he says the constitution is evil. and needs to be done away with basically. i think we should all right and not and we have to follow it it's important right now since our country is in turmoil and

the politicians need take a closer look at the constitution. >> i'll give you the last word. so is it the constitution that's the culprit or the way politicians do business or not do business? >> honey, it's the politicians. >> we are 9 hours before and everyone is trying to get ready for new year's eve. that's the problem, not constitution. >> i agree that the politicians can be the problem. but the reason is they are the problem is they keep point together constitution to defend their ideas which aren't necessarily supported about it constitution. this professor was throwing out a provocative idea, politically incorrect idea to get the country thinking and getting people and his students to think critically about our history.

it's a great debate to have and i'm glad we are having it because it keeps the constitution relevant. arthel: happy new year to both of you. thanks, guys. rick: we have been caught up count down to the fiscal cliff and there is a more fun countdown. tonight more than a million people will gather to ring in the new year. millions of dollars expected to be generated for local new york city businesses. lauren is there in times square. she joins us now. >> reporter: it turn out if you have a microphone you become really popular. it's starting to get really busy in times square. all of these people have actually started to close off the streets. they missed the cue. all right.

all right. so they started to -- they started to close off the streets behind me and people are pushing close and they will start to go in at 3:00 p.m. so just a couple minutes from now. then at 6:00 that iconic ball will go all the way up, pushed about it ceo of phillips lighting. it falls down at midnight. all these crazy people behind me are expected to spend get this, $25 million. that's the economic impact for new york city. and they threw all the confetti prematurely, but when it comes down from the sky at midnight we'll see a ton of confetti fall. people from around the world can write on the confetti.

i have some wishes from our friend around the world. this person anonymous says i wish would i meet j.b. and someone here says to be loved, cherished and protected once again. to end my terrible loneliness. i miss you doug. she signed it b. it's a great way for people to write their own personal messages. we have people from panama and dallas. happy new year rick folbaum. i guess we are starting to celebrate new year many eve already. when they do finally get in the heart of the square there is no out. there is no bathrooms. so from 3:00 to 12:15, that can get pretty scary. we madder all sorts of things for what they are going to use to help them out.

rick: i think you just made the howard stern show. >> reporter: i couldn't hear anything. rick: it happens to the best of us. before we let you go. how many apple carts are you standing on? report very just one, but it's a big one. so one big one. then actually in front of it is our space heater which we are not using anymore. that how we kept warm from 5:00 this morning. you just called out my height, 5'1". i'm never taller than anyone else. arthel: she is having a good time out there. you will be saying good-bye to an old standby in the new year. the popular lightbulb that will soon disappear from store

shelves. rick: secretary of state hillary clinton is in the hospital. how common are bloodclots? ffing is a great reason to slow down. creamy mash potatoes, homestyle gravy and 320 calories. marie callender's. it's time to savor.

arthel: enlightening new regulations forth new year as the 65 watt incandescent light

bubble. the 75-watt appliances are not junk, stores can still sell anything they have left on their shelves. but after that you will have to pick up some of the 75-watt l.e.d. bulbs thanks to a piece of legislation passed in 2007. rick: a new health crisis landing secretary of state hillary clinton in a new york city hospital after doctors discovered a bloodclot during a followup exam following a concussion she suffered earlier this month. thanks very much for coming in. we should mention right after the top, you are not treating the secretary. you are not privy to her medical record. but based upon what we heard, the medicine she has been given, what is youren southern.

>> this looks like artery deep vein thrombosis. it happens to be common among women, particularly pregnant women. we know know the secretary is not pregnant. it result from bed rest which is pro lodged and we show she was told to stay in bed after her concussion for some time. in the hospital we generally put people in blood thinners or put them in pressure stockings to prevent this deep vein prom bow is from happening. when it does oh skirt's painful, there is usually swelling of the calf and isn't surprising. secretary clinton had been on airplanes so much over the last few months. it doesn't surprise me that she has a deep rain thrombosis

related to her bed rest. rick: this is the latest in a spring of health problems for the secretary. it started with what we were told was a stomach virus. then came the concussion. and now the bloodclot which may or may not come before or after the concussion. is all of this related to each other? >> i think she has had a string of bad luck. she is 65. she came down with the stomach virus which happens to be going around and many of my patient have this. then she suffered a concussion from falling. i don't think the concussion is a bloodclot. but i think prolonged bed rest does result in sometimes deep vein thrombosis it's peculiar for her to have this now since she is one who is often on airplanes and we give advice to

people who take long flights, to exercise on the airplane. to move one's legs. but she has been in bed and i think that what this is from. rick: any reason to think she would not make a full recovery? >> this is a fairly common problem. it's one of our big quality and safety problems in the hospital. we are always preparing patient for this particularly after surgery. soy think she'll make a full recovery. >> for folks, maybe the secretary's age or people in their mid-60s, they do a lot of business travel. what would you recommend people be aware of to get treatment for this? >> we had a couple sudden deaths over the past year of people who had long flights and have gone the off flights and threw a bloodclot to their lungs it's called a pulmonary embolism.

if you are on a long flight, exercise. move your legs. there are specific maneuvers you can take. walking around the plane every hour is something i would highly recommend to prevent the formation of bloodclots. rick: good to receive you and happy and healthy new year to you. arthel: mitch mcconnell making remarks on the senate floor. let's listen in. >> we are very, very close. as the president just said, the most important piece, the piece that has to be done now is preventing the tax hikes. the president said quote for now our most immediate priority is to stop taxes going up for middle class families starting tomorrow, i agree. he suggested that action on the

sequester is something we continue to work on in the coming months. so i agree. let's pass the tax relief portion now, let's take what's been agreed to, and get moving. let me say this was not easy to get to. the vice president and i last spoke yesterday at 12:45 this morning and 6:00 this morning and multiple times during the day. this has been a good-faith negotiation. we all want to protect taxpayers and we can get it done now. right now. so let me be clear. we'll continue to work on finding smarter ways to cut spending, but let's not let that hold up protecting americans from the tax hike that will take place in 10 hours. 10 hours from now. we can do this.

we must do this. i want my colleagues to know we'll keep everybody updated as we continue to try to wrap is thup. i yield the floor. arthel: minority leader mitch mcconnell saying we can do this, we must do this. saying let's pats tax relief portion of this deal now. he has been speaking to vice president joe biden throughout the day. it seems like there is some progress that appears to be -- rick: he said we are very, very close an says he agrees with the president who spoke during our program. when the president said the top priority is taking care of keeping those tax rates for the middle class down, mitch mcconnell saying that is the top priority and we can get it done. so let's get it done. those are probably the most optimistic words we have heard

from senator mcdmonl some time. very, very close. sounds very, very promising. but there is so much to do, so much to get done parliamentary, it's sort of an organizational-wise. it's hard to get it done by midnight tonight. that what we'll be watching for in the hours ahead. arthel: for the americans who are frustrated to hear m connell say let's take care of those middle class families and we'll deal with the rest later. rick: this is a deal primarily between mitch mm connell and joe biden after some stalled efforts. they put off what they call the sequestration and they do not deal with spending cuts. defense spending and domestic spending would go automatically kick in at midnight along with

the tax hikes. this only addresses the tax situation, does not address any of the cuts that republicans have been demend mannin -- thatn demanding all along. we'll see how they will go along with the plan in the house that was worked out without their input. arthel: more to come. [♪] rick: we are hours away from the fiscal cliff and the end of 2012. and more than a million people are expected to pack new york's times square for the biggest party in the world. until janice dean is wearing the most mess tough outfit on television. nice to see you. >> reporter: by 7:00 tonight i'll be in sweat pants. this is the fanciest i get for you. let's take a look at your satellite-radar imagery. not everyone will have a clear

forecast across the central plains and southern plains. we'll see wet or sleet or ice or snow. you want to be indoors and watching bill and megyn tonight. across the ohio river valley we have a mixture of rain and freezing rain and it's all snow north of that as you get into illinois, indiana, ohio, that where we are seeing the snow. this isn't a big storm. it's just nuisance snow, nuisance rain. we could get 1-3 inches of snow. some isolated amounts of 6 inches plus. but it's not a big, big big, big storm. it will give a little bit of snow or rain depending on where you are. temperatures cold, minus 1 degree. 28 in cleveland. 7 degree in denver. it's cool across the rockies and the upper midwest and real quick

times square where bill and megyn will be tonight. temperature around freezing, clear skies. it will be cool but seasonal. bill and megyn will be fan are you tonight as well. happy new year to both of you. rick: same to you and your family, thanks so much. arthel: don't forget to ring in the new year with fox news channel's megyn kelly and bill hemmer. the show includes this four-time grammy winner. listen. [♪] pat been tapat benatar will be . and sarah brightman has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. and she has a long stage career

including starring in "phantom of the opera." coverage starting at 11:00 p.m. eastern tonight. megyn kelly, bill hemmer live in times square and you can be part of the show. the messages will appear on the ticker call on the bottom of the screen. just text utext plus your greeting. rick: sounds like a great show. we'll be right back. hit me with your best shot. nell * fire away.

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